Spring Time
North of Madison, head east on S.R. 6 and you’ll be on a picturesque country road marked by rolling hills and cornfields. Just before crossing the Withlacoochee River into Hamilton County you’ve arrived at Madison Blue Spring State Park where the focal point is a sunken azure pool. While most visitors would look at this glistening first magnitude pool and see a place to splash, snorkel, or perhaps snooze in the shade of overhanging oak trees, some see it as something far greater.
Cave divers from across America and Europe come here, disappearing first underwater, and then underground, for several hours as they explore a series of subterranean passages. While it sounds frightening to most, diver Meredith Tanguay shared an opposite reaction after exiting the water.
“In the cave it’s actually quite calm and peaceful,” she said. “It’s not about adrenaline. Cave diving is a sport that rewards Zen and finesse. And Madison Blue Springs is one of the most beautiful places to dive.”
Steps away where the spring flows into the Withlacoochee River, a row of small boulders creates a small waterfall and one of Florida’s most picture-perfect scenes. While this is likely one of the least-visited state parks due to its location, it’s certainly one of the most attractive. You’ve come this far, so do yourself a favor and take a little time for yourself. Find a quiet spot in the shade by the waterfront, sit back, and just listen to the water as it rushes over the rocks in folds and creases.
A Cherry on Top
C.R. 145 (aka Colin Kelly Road) stretches north from Madison and parallels a wide recreational trail that was once the path of a railroad. If you’re a cyclist or just in the mood for a long walk, the Four Freedoms Trail is part of a 135-mile path that encircles the county, much of it along Highway 90 between Suwannee County to the east and Jefferson County to the west and much of it embedded in the Adventure Cycling Association’s Southern Tier ‘Coast to Coast’ cycling route.
And while Floridians are accustomed to seeing orange groves and palm trees, along the way you’ll see something unusual: A cotton field stretching for hundreds of acres with puffy white cotton sprouting like snow from the branches. The sight will make you feel you’ve departed Florida for the Deep South.
Several miles ahead in the unincorporated community of Pinetta you can buy homemade sausage at the Pinetta Market and see what must have been a railroad depot and whistle-stop hotel, both now remnants of time. Highway 150 splits to the west, the space between Pinetta and the next unincorporated community, Cherry Lake, separated by scenes of large nurseries, small farms, fields of corn and, surprisingly, a contemporary subdivision. At the junction of C.R. 150 and Route 253, two service stations look as slow and sleepy as their surroundings, but what really makes this unincorporated community worth visiting can be found just a few miles north.
Well off the beaten path, 600-acre Cherry Lake is unknown to most Floridians, but is cherished by families whose homes – either rustic or elegant – surround the lake and by generations of students who’ve attended the 4-H camp, which has been here since the 1930s. Next to the camp, a small county park is delightful in its solitude. There is little to disturb you here on the shores of hidden Cherry Lake. A picnic pavilion and park overlook the water, the bank slopes to a small beach, and a floating dock offers a place for sunning, swimming, and fishing. From the opposite shore and back along the banks are log cabins and lodges, a boating club, and racks of canoes.
Florida, unspoiled.
A Ray of Light
From Cherry Lake the remote nature of Madison County can be seen in Cinemascope as winding Highway 150, followed by a switch south on Lovett Road, takes you up and over hills, through stretches of canopy roads, past forlorn cemeteries and Cracker cabins. From here your destination is Greenville, not because there’s an extraordinary amount to do here, but because of who once lived here.
Near the junction of U.S. 90 and U.S. 221 in Haffye Hayes Park is a wonderful statue of Ray Charles, the legendary entertainer whose childhood was spent in Greenville and who was later a student at the St. Augustine School for the Deaf & Blind.
The 2005 life-sized work by sculptor Bradley Cooley appears to be in motion as Charles plays a keyboard with fierce intensity. It’s well worth a photo as you pass through town on U.S. 90 – aka Ray Charles Memorial Highway. To see where Charles was raised (actually a reconstruction of his childhood home), set your coordinates for 443 SW Ray Charles Avenue.
Lee Way
Madison County covers 716 square miles, but relatively few major roads cross it. Should you arrive from the south on I-10, exit at 275 and you’ll pass the Suwannee River State Park by Ellaville and then cross the Suwannee River southeast of the town of Lee (“Little But Proud.”) If you’re a nature lover, in the short distance between the river and the town is the place for you.
The Twin Rivers State Forest refers to the junction of the Withlacoochee and Suwannee rivers, and is along the migratory route known as the Great Florida Birding Trail. Within the forest are hiking and equestrian trails, canoeing, and primitive camp areas.
In every quarter, Madison County awaits.
So hit the road, Jack.
When you go…
Check out the Madison County Chamber of Commerce site.
